The school of medicine received 14,649 applications this academic year, exactly on par with its total last year. The school’s applications have been on the rise over the past decade – as they have for medical schools across the country.

Medical schools in big cities saw the most applications this year. About 1,000 more students applied to GW than Drexel University College of Medicine. GW topped Georgetown University School of Medicine by more than 2,000 applications.

As part of its annual ranking, U.S. News compiled data from more than 140 medical schools. GW was ranked No. 55 in medical research and No. 83 for primary care in the list that was released in March.

GW announced last week that Apple's chief executive officer will be this year’s Commencement speaker. Experts say it’s an important step in building a relationship with a multi-millionaire who could eventually give a large donation.